6:52pm Monday 16th November 2009
By Tyrone Marshall
A PUB faces a review of its licence after a drugs raid was carried out last month.
Councillors will consider the licence of the Princess Royal, in Yorkshire Street, Burnley, on Thursday, and could impose restrictions, or even suspend, or revoke, the licence.
Three people were arrested after 48 police officers raided the premises on Friday, October 23.
A 31-year-old Burnley man received a caution for poss-ession of Class A drugs, and two women, aged 21 and 43, both from Burnley, are currently on police bail.
The raid was organised as part of Operation Converge, a countywide operation targeting drug crime in pubs and clubs.
Police closed the pub for 24 hours following the raid and said there was a “serious risk” of disorder. Councillors from the licensing committee will now consider the future of the licence after the closure order was ratified by Reedley magis-trates Superintendent Sarah Oldham said: “We will not tolerate drugs being sold and used in licensed premises in this town and where we have information that this is happening, people can expect us to take robust action.”
Officers in support vans, marked and unmarked police vehicles swooped on the busy town centre pub around 8pm on October 23 after a briefing at BurnleyPolice Station.
Inside the pub, police moved drinkers into a secure area once searched and by 8.40pm officers began to let innocent drinkers go.
During the search six bags of a white powder substance, believed to be Class A drugs, and two bags of cannabis bush were found.
Powers open to the licensing committee include changing the conditions of the licence, excluding licensable activities from the pub, removing the premises supervisor, suspending the licence, or revoking it completely.
No-one from the Princess Royal was available for comment.
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